Selective-card cabinet



Feb. 19, 1929'.

W. BUCKERIDGE SELECTIVE cm) 055mm Filed June 15, 1927- 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 RIBCDEFGH u KLFFNOPGRSTUVWXYZ W. BUCKERIDGE SELECTIVE cum CABINET m 1 W H w .1 m R m Feb. 19, 1929.

2 Sheetg-Sheet 2 Ill-H. 8' hike/1Z0- WaZZr-Baelerii I if Patented Feb. 19, 1929.

UNITED stares WALTER nominees, or PERTH, aesralm.

snnncrrvn-cama cannin- Application filed June 15, 1927, Serial no. 199,080, and in Australia earn 11', 1927.

This invention relates to a selective card cabinet. 7 v V When using an index that includes a large number of cards,it is a matter of some trouble to find any particular card thatmaybe required. Furthermore, theoperation takes a fair amount of time, and is subject to the possibility that a card may have been misplaced, when the time taken is considerably prolonged.

The present invention relates to a selective card cabinet, by means of which on operating certain elements, the required card comes out of the cabinet, no matter in what relative position it may have been placed. I v The invention will readily be understood by reference .to-the accompanying drawings, in which 1 I Figural is a front elevation ofa card cabinet, (minus the cards) Fig. 2 is a plan thereof, in which, however, the pivots have been omitted for the sake of clearness:'- j t Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the inverted cabinet as it will appear when a card in the name of W. Smith is being discharged Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation of so much of the cabinet as is necessary to illustrate a rod in the locking positionsi Fig. 5 is asimilar view except that the rod is in the open position :j

Fig. 6 is an elevation of a card as it will be out for the name of W. Smith Fig. 7 is a detail view showing how a bar is locked in a corresponding card perforation, and

the bar is turned 90, the card is unlocked as far as the particular perforation is concerned.

There isprovided an appropriate square or rectangular card cabinet 10 consisting of a frame of sides without top or bottom, which preferably is supported front and back by pivots 11, (only the front pivot is shown), so as to be capable of being turned atlast 180. In juxtaposition to what may normally be regarded as the bottom of such cabinet are placed a plurality of parallel rods 12 all in the same plane. These rods are characterized in that in section one of their axes is longer than the axis at right-angles thereto. The foregoing is further characterized in that in section each rod is somewhat pearshaped, one side being conveniently semicircular in outline, whilst the remainder tapers to a relatively thin edge (see Figs. 7 and Fig. 8 is a similar view showing thatwhen- 8 One endof each rod terminates in the form of a circular shaft 13,,wlrilstthe other end- 14;- has a twist of 90. 'Thetwis'te'd ends are adapted to register in bearings. 15 fashioned in the corresponding end or side ofthe cabinet, The efleet of the foregoing is that, on pushing the rod in one direction, it is, by virtue or the twist abovealluded to, rotated through an angle of 90, which means that the longer axis, instead of b'einghotizontal, becomes vertical. Conversely, when the rod is pushed in the opposite direction, the rod is turned back through an angle of 90, sothat the lopge'r axis of the rod again becomes horizonta It will be preferable to have at least twenty six of the foregoing rods, namely, one representing each letter of the alphabet. It will be better, however, to provide twentyseven rods, in which; case one can'be used to represent a mark of punctuation, hecabinet will. convenientl be marked with the appropriateletters in uxtaposition to the front ends of the correspondingrods. Itwill also be;desirable to provide su ports 16 and 17 at thesides of the cabinet or the pur ose ofguiding the ends of the cards.

T e cardsused in conjunction with the arrangement that has been described will be perforated as follows. the top edges of such cards 18, there. will be not less than twenty-six but preferably twenty-seven equidistant notches. These notches will each before use in outline be somewhat bottleshaped. That is to say, there will be a 'circular curved portion spaced inward from the edge, and extending from the same to" the edgewill be a narrower parallel neck-like pen g- The manner in which the cards cooperate with the rods 12 for the purpose of holding certaincards inthe cabinet while selecting others for inspection will; be obvious from the followingdescri-ption. ASSUII1iI1gth21titiSdsired to place in the cabinet a card in respect of a name such as VV. Smith, in thisca'se a card will be placed in an'appropriate cutting; or punching apparatus in which the whole of the notches other than those representing the letters W, S, M, I, T, together with the punctuation mark, will be treate dns follows:

' That-is to say, the wholeof the other notcl'res will have the shoulders cut away, the necklike portion of the notch being thereby Widened so as to correspond with the full width of the lower portion of the notch. The retion mark, are narrower than the neck-like maining notches, namely, those at 19 19 19 19, 19, 19, 19, are not aifected. The rods contained in the cabinet are then all pushed so that the longer axes of such rods are vertica (the position shown in Fig. 8). The cabinet being a frame of sideswithout top or bottom is placed so that the rods are at the lower portion thereof. The card treat-ed as aforesaid (see Fig. (5) is then dropped into position, which means that each of the perforations will register with a corresponding rod. The rods are then pushed in the opposite direction, with the result that the longer axes of such rods now become horizontal (as in Fig. 7). If the cabinet is turned through an angle of 180, there is the following result, namely, that the card is supported on the rods referenced 12 12*, 12 12 12, 12 12, cor responding to IV, S, M, I, T, H, punctuation nark, for the reason that the notch-es corresponding to the other rods have had their shoulders cut a "ay, and therefore no support is afiorded by such rods at those points. The cabinet will likewise receive and hold a number of cards, each. supported by rods engaging their characteristic notches. hen it is desired to remove the card filed under WV. Smith, the appropriate rods are pushed so that the longer axis becomes vertical, with the result that the card is now not supported at any points, as the narrower axes of the rods corresponding to W, S, M, I, T, H, punctuaportion of the perforations. In consequence, when the cabinet is turn-ed, the p articular card falls down and is available for inspection. It will be understood that the remaining cards, having different characteristic notches, will not be affected by the foregoing selective action, and consequently will be retained within the cabinet.

From the foregoing it will be obvious that even though a large number of cards be con tained in the cabinet, the result will be identical. I m'thermore, assuming that a large number of cards have been ren'ioved for inspection. the procedure of turning all the rods to the position shown in Figs. 5 and 8, will allow all of the cards to be dro 'i 'ied into position, and will result in their being all locked by the appropriate rods on the latter bcing pushed into the position. whereby the longer axes become horizontal.

It will be advautagcous to provide the notched edge of each card with a small cut placed at one corner as indicated by the numeral 20, the cut on every card being adapted to register with. each other, whereby to as sure a readily correct positioning of the card within the cabinet.

The rods 12 do not necessarily refer to letters of the alphabet, but may be indi ative of other distinguishing characteristics.

I claim:

1. In a selective card cabinet the combination a locking rod in section having one long and one short axis, a twist of 90 formed at one end of such rod, a bearing to translate the twist into a turning movement, a circular shaft attached to the other end of the rod, and a bearing for supporting the said shaft.

2. In a selective card cabinet the combination of a plurality of rods in section having a long and a short axis, means whereby the long axis of the rods can be made to take up either a vertical or a horizontal position, cards each having a plurality of non-lockable edge notches corresponding to some of the rods, and a number of lockable edge notches corresponding to the ren'iainder ofsuch rot 3. 111 a selective card cabinet the combination of a plurality of rods in section having a long and. a short axis, means whereby the long axis of the rods can be made to take up either a vertical or horizontal position, cards each having a plurality of non-loclable edge notches corresponding to some of the rods, a

number of lockable edge notches corresponding to the remainder of such rods, and registering means formed on each card for their correct positioning in the cabinet.

4. In a selective card cabinet a plurality of movable locking rods, each having a portion disposed at substantially right angles to the ren'iainder thereof, and bearings cooperating with the recs to impart a limited rotary motion to said rods with movement of the same.

5. In a selective card cabinet a movable locking rod received within the cabinet and extending therethrough, one end of said rod being twisted at substantially right-angles to the ren'iainder thereof,and means cooperating with said twisted end for causing a limited rotary motion to the rod with movement. of the same.

6. In, a selective card cabinet, locking members each having a portion twisted, means for mounting said members for endwise move ment, and means cooperating with said twisted portions of the locking members to cause a turning motion of the latter when moved endwise. V

7. In. a selective card cabinet. frame, l( 1]- gitmlinally movable locking in embers carried by the frame, a twist formed at one end of said members, and means cooperating with said twist to cause a turning motion of the locking members with longitudinal movement thereof.

Dated this 26th day of April, 1927.

WALTER- BUCK ames. 

